Certificate issuing device and certificate issuing method

Abstract

To provide a certificate issuing device that enables an incentive to be given to a user who charges electric power having an environmental added value.SOLUTION: A certificate issuing device 10 includes: a credit information acquisition unit 11 that acquires credit information identifying credit issued by a credit management entity for a predetermined action by a value creator; a charging information acquisition unit 12 that acquires charging information indicating that a power use device of a user is charged; an issuing unit 13 that issues power use identification information corresponding to the charging information; an aggregation unit 14 that aggregates a charging power amount and calculates a total charging power amount; an invalidation processing unit 15 that transmits invalidation application information for invalidating credit equivalent to the total charging power amount to the credit management entity; and an output unit 16 that outputs invalidation credit information associated with each of the power use identification information corresponding to the charging information aggregated as the total charging power amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a certificate issuing apparatus and a certificate issuing method for issuing to a user a certificate related to the use of renewable energy.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Charging services for electric vehicles utilizing green power certificates have been implemented. In charging services utilizing green power certificates, the operator of the green power certificates issues a certificate equivalent to the amount of electric power to the power generation business operator that has created the environmental added value generated in power generation by a power generation method that does not emit greenhouse gases, such as solar power generation (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Companies such as charging service business operators that have purchased green power certificates can contribute to the popularization of natural energy equivalent to the amount of electric power stated in the certificates without having their own renewable energy power generation facilities, and are regarded as having utilized green power.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

NON-PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003]

NON-PATENT DOCUMENT 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] Green power certificates are issued to the person who generated the electric power and cannot be resold, so a user who has been charged with electric power having environmental added value could not obtain an incentive for the charging and the use of the electric power.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to enable the provision of incentives to users who charge with electricity that has environmental added value. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A certificate issuing device relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a certificate issuing device that issues certificates relating to the use of renewable energy to a user, comprising: a credit information acquisition unit that acquires credit information that identifies credits issued to a value creator by a predetermined institution in accordance with the quantity of a predetermined action performed by a predetermined value creator; a charging information acquisition unit that acquires charging information indicating that the user's power-using device has been charged at a predetermined charging facility, wherein the charging information includes information that can acquire the amount of charging power and a user ID that can identify the user; an issuing unit that issues unique power usage identification information corresponding to the charging information; an aggregation unit that aggregates the amount of charging power in one or more pieces of charging information to calculate an aggregated amount of charging power; an invalidation processing unit that transmits invalidation application information for applying to invalidate credits corresponding to the quantity of issued credits that corresponds to the aggregated amount of charging power to a predetermined entity in charge of invalidation processing; and an output unit that outputs invalidated credit information in a manner that can be referenced by the user, which is information that associates credit information that identifies the credit for which an invalidation application has been made with each piece of power usage identification information corresponding to the charging information in which the amount of charging power has been aggregated as an aggregated amount of charging power.

[0007] A certificate issuance method relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a certificate issuance method in a certificate issuance device that issues certificates relating to the use of renewable energy to a user, comprising: a credit information acquisition step of acquiring credit information that identifies credits issued to a value creator by a predetermined institution in accordance with the quantity of a predetermined action performed by a predetermined value creator; a charging information acquisition step of acquiring charging information that indicates that a user's power-using device has been charged at a predetermined charging facility, wherein the charging information includes information on which the amount of charging power can be acquired and a user ID that can identify the user; an issuance step of issuing power usage identification information, each unique to the charging information; an aggregation step of aggregating the amount of charging power in one or more pieces of charging information to calculate an aggregated amount of charging power; an invalidation processing step of transmitting invalidation application information to a predetermined entity in charge of invalidation processing for applying to invalidate credits corresponding to the quantity of credits corresponding to the aggregated amount of charging power among the issued credits; and an output step of outputting invalidated credit information, which is information that associates credit information that identifies the credits for which invalidation has been applied and power usage identification information corresponding to the charging information on which the amount of charging power has been aggregated as an aggregated amount of charging power, in a manner that can be referenced by the user.

[0008] From this perspective, charging information related to charging performed by users at designated charging facilities is acquired, and a unique power usage identification information is issued for each piece of charging information. Then, invalidated credit information is output, which associates the credit information of the credits for which invalidation has been requested with one or more pieces of power usage identification information, according to the total amount of electricity charged. Thus, one piece of credit information is effectively divided into one or more pieces of charging information and power usage identification information. Consequently, users corresponding to the charging information can recognize the association between their own charging and the credit information, making it possible to provide users with an incentive for the environmental added value corresponding to their charging.

[0009] In certificate issuing devices relating to other aspects, credit information may identify credits issued in accordance with the amount of electricity generated by predetermined means that do not involve greenhouse gas emissions.

[0010] From this perspective, it becomes possible to distribute the environmental added value of electricity, which does not involve greenhouse gas emissions, to individual users who charge their devices.

[0011] In certificate issuing devices relating to other aspects, the quantity in the prescribed action may be the amount of greenhouse gas emission reduction or absorption.

[0012] From this perspective, it becomes possible to distribute the environmental added value of credits, which correspond to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reduced or absorbed, to individual users who have charged their vehicles.

[0013] In certificate issuing devices relating to other aspects, the power-using device may be an electric vehicle.

[0014] From this perspective, it becomes possible to distribute the environmental added value of credits associated with charging electric vehicles to individual users who perform the charging.

[0015] In certificate issuing devices relating to other aspects, the aggregation unit may aggregate the amount of charging power for each given amount of charging power, each given number of charging transactions, or each given period.

[0016] From this perspective, the amount of charging power from multiple charging sources is aggregated, and an application to invalidate the credit corresponding to the aggregated amount of charging power is made, thus reducing the processing load related to the invalidation application.

[0017] In certificate issuing devices relating to other aspects, the output unit may output invalidation credit information by publishing it on a designated website without presenting the user ID corresponding to the power usage identification information.

[0018] According to such an aspect, a user who has performed charging can recognize the credit information associated with the user without having their personal information known to others.

[0019] In the certificate issuing apparatus according to another aspect, the invalidation processing unit may transmit invalidation application information to the computer of a predetermined institution that has issued the credit, or to the computer of an application agent that acts as an agent for an application for invalidation of the credit to the predetermined institution.

[0020] According to such an aspect, the content of the invalidation processing for applying for credit invalidation is embodied.

[0021] In the certificate issuing apparatus according to another aspect, the issuing unit may transmit the power usage identification information to the user terminal of the user indicated by the user ID included in the charging information corresponding to the power usage identification information, or may display the power usage identification information in a referable manner on a website accessible by the user terminal.

[0022] According to such an aspect, it is possible to make the user recognize the power usage identification information displayed on the user's terminal. Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to grant an incentive to a user who has charged power with environmental added value. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an example of a device configuration of a system including the certificate issuing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a timing chart showing an overview of processing by a certificate issuer, a credit creator, and a credit operating entity related to certificate issuance by the certificate issuing apparatus. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the certificate issuing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4]This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration for a certificate issuing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram schematically illustrates the process for obtaining credits. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the structure of charging information. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of power usage identification information associated with each piece of charging information. [Figure 8] This figure shows one way in which issued electricity usage identification information is presented to the user. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of invalidation application information for a credit invalidation request. [Figure 10] This diagram shows one way in which invalid credit information is presented. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of the processing content of the certificate issuance method in the certificate issuance device according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0026] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the device configuration of a system including a certificate issuing device according to an embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 1, System 1 includes a certificate issuing device 10, a computer CA of the credit operating entity (hereinafter referred to as "Credit Operating Entity CA"), and a computer CG of the credit creator (hereinafter referred to as "Credit Creator CG"). The certificate issuing device 10, the credit operating entity CA, and the credit creator CG are configured to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless network N.

[0027] Credits are intangible value assets issued to value creators by designated institutions in proportion to the quantity of their actions. Credits are issued upon certification by designated institutions for the introduction of renewable energy sources, such as solar power generation, which does not involve greenhouse gas emissions. Designated institutions include, for example, national and local governments, and organizations established by public institutions.

[0028] In this embodiment, the credit operator CA constitutes a designated institution that issues and manages credits. In this embodiment, the credit creator CG constitutes a value creator related to credits. In this embodiment, the credit creator CG may be, for example, a solar power generation business operator.

[0029] As an example of a credit system in this embodiment, the so-called J-Credit Scheme is cited. The J-Credit Scheme is a system in which the government certifies the amount of greenhouse gas emission reductions and absorptions, such as CO2, achieved through initiatives such as the introduction of energy-saving equipment and forest management, as "credits."

[0030] The certificate issuing device 10 is configured to communicate with the user's user terminal T via network N. Although two networks are shown in Figure 1, the similarity or difference between these two networks N is irrelevant.

[0031] The charger PS is a device that charges the user's power-using device and is configured to send and receive information with the certificate issuing device 10. The charger PS can transmit charging information to the certificate issuing device 10 indicating that the user's power-using device has been charged. The charging information includes information on which the amount of power charged can be obtained and a user ID that can identify the user. The information on which the amount of power charged can be obtained may be the amount of power charged measured by the charger PS. Alternatively, the information on which the amount of power charged can be obtained may be the charging time, in which case the amount of power charged can be calculated by multiplying the charging time by the rated output of the charger PS.

[0032] The power-using device may be the user's electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is a vehicle that converts electricity into power to move, and may be, for example, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), a PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle), etc.

[0033] Referring to Figure 2, an example of the procedure and processing from the issuance of credits to the credit creator CG to the purchase of credits from the certificate issuing device 10 (certificate issuer) will be explained. Figure 2 is a timing chart showing an overview of the processing by the certificate issuing device for the certificate issuer, credit creator, and credit operating entity.

[0034] Steps S11 to S14 are processes related to project registration. In step S11, the credit creator CG plans (or implements) a project related to the reduction or absorption of greenhouse gases. Then, in step S12, the credit creator CG submits the project plan to the credit operator CA.

[0035] In step S13, the validity of the project plan is verified. The credit management body CA then reviews the plan and registers the project and credit creator as eligible for credit issuance.

[0036] Steps S15 to S19 are processes related to the issuance of credits. In step S15, the credit creator CG implements the project and monitors (measures) greenhouse gas reductions and absorptions. In step S16, the credit creator CG submits a monitoring report to the credit operator CA.

[0037] In step S17, the credit operator CA reviews the monitoring report and certifies the credit. In step S18, the credit operator CA issues the credit to the credit creator CG. The issuance of credits is managed in the register. That is, the credit operator CA records in the register the credits it issues and associates them with the credit creator CG.

[0038] In step S19, the credit creator CG receives the credit. The credit creator CG obtains at least information identifying the credit and information indicating the amount of the credit.

[0039] Steps S20 to S23 are processes related to the acquisition of credits by the certificate issuer. In step S20, the credit creator CG sells the credits to the certificate issuer 10. In step S21, the certificate issuer 10 purchases the credits. The certificate issuing device 10 acquires at least information that identifies the credits.

[0040] In step S22, the credit creator CG enters the transfer information into the register system of the credit operator CA as a result of the sale of the credits. In step S23, the credit operator CA reflects the credit transfer information in the register. In other words, changes in credit holders resulting from the sale and purchase of credits are managed by the register.

[0041] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the certificate issuing device 10. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the certificate issuing device 10, and shows a computer 100 that can function as the certificate issuing device 10.

[0042] The certificate issuing device 10 is a device that issues certificates relating to the use of renewable energy to users, and includes a processor 101. As an example, the computer 100 includes a processor 101, a main memory unit 102, an auxiliary memory unit 103, and a communication unit 104 as hardware components.

[0043] The processor 101 is a computing unit that executes the operating system and application programs. Examples of processors include CPUs (Central Processing Units) and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), but the type of processor 101 is not limited to these. For example, the processor 101 may be a combination of a sensor and a dedicated circuit. The dedicated circuit may be a programmable circuit such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or it may be another type of circuit.

[0044] The main memory unit 102 is a device that stores the program for realizing the certificate issuing device 10 (certificate issuing program P1), calculation results output from the processor 101, and the like. The main memory unit 102 is composed of, for example, at least one of ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0045] The auxiliary storage unit 103 is generally a device capable of storing a larger amount of data than the main memory unit 102. The auxiliary storage unit 103 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk or flash memory. The auxiliary storage unit 103 stores the program P1 for causing the computer 100 to function as a certificate issuing device 10, as well as various other data.

[0046] The communication unit 104 is a device that performs data communication with other computers via the communication network N. The communication unit 104 is composed of, for example, a network card or a wireless communication module.

[0047] Each functional element of the certificate issuing device 10 is realized by loading the corresponding program P1 onto the processor 101 or main memory 102 and having the processor 101 execute the program. Program P1 includes code for realizing each functional element of the corresponding server. The processor 101 operates the communication unit 104 according to program P1 and performs data reading and writing in the main memory 102 or auxiliary memory 103. Through such processing, each functional element of the corresponding certificate issuing device 10 is realized.

[0048] Program P1 may be provided permanently recorded on a tangible recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or semiconductor memory. Alternatively, at least one of these programs may be provided via a communication network as a data signal superimposed on a carrier wave.

[0049] The certificate issuing device 10 may be composed of one or more computers. When the certificate issuing device 10 is composed of multiple computers, the multiple computers are connected to each other via a communication network, thereby logically forming a single device.

[0050] The certificate issuing device 10 functionally comprises a credit information acquisition unit 11, a charge information acquisition unit 12, an issuance unit 13, an aggregation unit 14, an invalidation processing unit 15, and an output unit 16. Each of these functional units 11 to 16 is realized when the certificate issuance program P1 is loaded into the processor 101 and the certificate issuance program P1 is executed. The certificate issuance program P1 includes instructions for causing the computer to function as the certificate issuing device 10.

[0051] Each functional unit of the certificate issuing device 10 is configured to access the charging information storage unit 20. The charging information storage unit 20 is a storage means for storing and managing charging information, and is configured, for example, as a main storage unit 102 or an auxiliary storage unit 103. The charging information storage unit 20 may be configured as another device accessible from the certificate issuing device 10, or it may be configured within the certificate issuing device 10.

[0052] Next, the functional parts of the certificate issuing device 10 will be described. The credit information acquisition unit 11 acquires credit information that identifies credits issued to a value creator by a predetermined institution in accordance with the quantity of predetermined actions performed by a predetermined value creator.

[0053] In this embodiment, as an example, the credit information acquisition unit 11 acquires credit information of credits issued to the credit creator CG in accordance with the amount of electricity generated by the credit creator CG in power generation that does not involve greenhouse gas emissions, such as solar power generation. Specifically, the credit information acquisition unit 11 acquires credit information in conjunction with the purchase of credits in step S21.

[0054] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the process for acquiring credits. The credit information acquisition unit 11 of the certificate issuing device 10 (certificate issuer) acquires credit information D1 from the credit creator CG. Credit information D1 includes the credit identification number "KC-001" which identifies the credit to be purchased, and the credit quantity. The credit quantity may be, for example, the amount of CO2 reduction in power generation.

[0055] Credit creator CG sends a credit transfer request D2 to credit operator CA. Credit transfer request D2 is information indicating the transfer of credits to the certificate issuer and includes at least the credit identification number "KC-001" and the credit quantity. Upon receiving credit transfer request D2, credit operator CA updates its registry database to reflect that the credit identified by credit identification number "KC-001" has been transferred from credit creator CG to certificate issuer 10.

[0056] Referring again to Figure 3, the charging information acquisition unit 12 acquires charging information indicating that the user's power-using device has been charged at a predetermined charging facility. In this embodiment, the charging information acquisition unit 12 acquires charging information indicating that the user's electric vehicle has been charged at the charger PS. The charging information includes information on which the amount of charging power can be acquired and a user ID that can identify the user. The charging information acquisition unit 12 stores the acquired charging information in the charging information storage unit 20.

[0057] Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of charging information. As shown in Figure 6, the charging information includes a user ID associated with a charging information ID that can identify each charging piece of information, and the amount of power charged. The charging information may further include the date and time indicating when charging occurred and information about the location where charging was performed (the location where the charger PS is installed). The charging information may include the charging time, either in lieu of or in conjunction with the amount of power charged. If the charging information includes the charging time, the amount of power charged can be calculated by multiplying the charging time by the rated output of the charger PS.

[0058] Referring again to Figure 3, the issuing unit 13 issues a unique power usage identification piece corresponding to each piece of charging information. Specifically, the issuing unit 13 generates power usage identification piece corresponding to at least each piece of charging information. Since the charging information includes a user ID that identifies the user, the power usage identification piece is associated with the user.

[0059] Figure 7 shows an example of issued power usage identification information. As shown in Figure 7, the issuing unit 13 issues power usage identification information in association with charging information. For example, the issuing unit 13 issues power usage identification information "KC-001-01" in association with charging information "ch-1". Similarly, the issuing unit 13 issues power usage identification information "KC-001-02" and "KC-001-03" in association with charging information "ch-2" and "ch-3", respectively.

[0060] The issuing unit 13 may make the power usage identification information accessible on a website that can be accessed by the user terminal T of the user indicated by the user ID included in the charging information corresponding to the power usage identification information. Figure 8 is a diagram showing one way in which the issued power usage identification information is presented to the user, and shows an example of the display screen of the power usage record D3 displayed on the website. As shown in Figure 8, the issuing unit 13 displays the power usage record D3, which includes the power usage identification information d31, on the user terminal T of user "U01". The power usage record D3 may also be displayed on a user-specific page that can be accessed by the user after logging in from the user terminal T.

[0061] Furthermore, the issuing unit 13 may transmit the power usage identification information to the user terminal indicated by the user ID included in the charging information corresponding to the power usage identification information. That is, the issuing unit 13 may transmit the power usage record D3, as shown in Figure 8, to the user terminal T of user "U01".

[0062] In this way, by referencing the power usage record D3, which includes power usage identification information, on the user terminal T, the user can recognize the power usage identification information.

[0063] Referring again to Figure 3, the aggregation unit 14 aggregates the amount of charging power in one or more charging information entries to calculate the aggregated amount of charging power. Specifically, the aggregation unit 14 aggregates the amount of charging power in a certain amount of charging information. For example, the aggregation unit 14 aggregates the amount of charging power for each given amount of charging power. In this embodiment, the aggregation unit 14 aggregates the charging information for each amount of charging power corresponding to a preset amount of greenhouse gas (CO2). Alternatively, the aggregation unit 14 may aggregate the charging information and the amount of charging power for each given number of charging entries or for each given period.

[0064] The invalidation processing unit 15 transmits invalidation application information to a designated entity responsible for invalidation processing, for the purpose of requesting the invalidation of credits corresponding to the quantity of total charging power among the issued credits. Specifically, the invalidation processing unit 15 transmits the invalidation application information to the computer of the designated institution that issued the credits, or to the computer of the application agent acting on behalf of the designated institution to request the invalidation of credits.

[0065] In this embodiment, the invalidation processing unit 15 transmits invalidation application information to the computer of the credit operating entity CA, which is a predetermined institution that issued the credit. Figure 9 shows an example of invalidation application information for an application to invalidate a credit. As shown in Figure 9, the invalidation application information D4 includes a credit identification number d41 that identifies the credit to be invalidated, and an invalidation credit quantity d42 that indicates the quantity of credit to be invalidated. The invalidation application information D4 may also include information that identifies the certificate issuer 10, which is the holder of the credit (credit holder).

[0066] The invalidation credit amount d42 may be, for example, the amount of greenhouse gas (CO2) equivalent to the aggregated amount of electricity charged. In this embodiment, an invalidation application is made for each credit equivalent to 1 ton of CO2. The conversion coefficient between the amount of greenhouse gas and the amount of electricity charged is defined, for example, for each project in the credit creator CG.

[0067] When the credit management entity CA obtains information about a credit invalidation request, it manages the invalidation request to be processed in the registry (database) to ensure that the requested credit is invalidated.

[0068] In this way, by invalidating the credits corresponding to the aggregated amount of electricity charged, the electricity usage identification information and the credits become linked through the amount of electricity charged. Therefore, it can be considered that the credit information issued as a certificate for power generation, etc., by the credit creator CG has been effectively divided into multiple pieces of electricity usage identification information.

[0069] Referring again to Figure 3, the output unit 16 outputs invalidated credit information in a manner that can be referenced by the user. This information associates credit information that identifies the credit for which invalidation has been requested with power usage identification information corresponding to the charging information in which the amount of charging power has been aggregated as the total amount of charging power.

[0070] The output unit 16 may, for example, publish invalidated credit information on a website so that it can be accessed by the user via the user terminal T. Figure 10 is a diagram showing one aspect of presenting invalidated credit information, and shows a display screen for displaying invalidated credit information. As illustrated in Figure 10, the output unit 16 displays invalidated credit information D5. The invalidated credit information D5 includes a credit identification number d51 that identifies the invalidated credit, and an invalidated credit amount d52 that indicates the amount of invalidated credit.

[0071] Furthermore, invalidated credit information D5 includes power usage identification information d53 associated with the charging information aggregated in the aggregated charging power amount corresponding to the invalidated credit. By referring to invalidated credit information D5, users can recognize the association between the power usage identification information corresponding to the charging they performed and the credit information as a certificate for power generation, etc., and further recognize the credit information associated with themselves. The association of multiple power usage identification information and credit information can, in effect, be considered as a segmented credit information for each power usage identification information.

[0072] Furthermore, the output unit 16 outputs the invalidation credit information D5 by publishing it on a designated website without disclosing the user ID corresponding to the power usage identification information. Even if the invalidation credit information D5 shown in Figure 10 is published so that multiple users can refer to it, the power usage identification information itself does not identify the user, thus preventing the identification of each user's personal information corresponding to each piece of power usage identification information.

[0073] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing details of the certificate issuance method in the certificate issuing device 10.

[0074] In step S1, the credit information acquisition unit 11 acquires credit information that identifies credits issued to a value creator by a predetermined institution in accordance with the quantity of a predetermined action performed by the predetermined value creator. In this embodiment, the credit information acquisition unit 11 acquires credit information of credits issued to the credit creator CG in accordance with the amount of electricity generated by the credit creator CG in power generation that does not involve greenhouse gas emissions, such as solar power generation. The acquisition of credit information is associated with the purchase of credits by the certificate issuer.

[0075] In step S2, the charging information acquisition unit 12 acquires charging information indicating that the user's power-using device has been charged at a predetermined charging facility. In this embodiment, the charging information acquisition unit 12 acquires charging information indicating that the user's electric vehicle has been charged at the charger PS.

[0076] In step S3, the issuing unit 13 issues unique power usage identification information corresponding to each charge information. Specifically, the issuing unit 13 generates power usage identification information corresponding to each charge information.

[0077] In step S4, the aggregation unit 14 determines whether the given conditions for performing the aggregation of charging energy amounts have been met. The conditions for performing the aggregation of charging energy amounts include, for example, the amount of greenhouse gas corresponding to the charging energy amount reaching a predetermined amount, the number of charging information items reaching a predetermined number, and the passage of a predetermined period of time. If it is determined that the conditions for performing the aggregation of charging energy amounts have been met, the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if it is determined that the conditions for performing the aggregation of charging energy amounts have not been met, the process returns to step S2.

[0078] In step S5, the aggregation unit 14 aggregates the charging power amounts from one or more charging information sources to calculate the aggregated charging power amount.

[0079] In step S6, the invalidation processing unit 15 transmits invalidation application information to a predetermined entity responsible for invalidation processing, for the purpose of requesting the invalidation of credits corresponding to the amount of total charging power among the issued credits. In this embodiment, the invalidation processing unit 15 transmits the invalidation application information to the computer of the credit operating entity CA.

[0080] In step S7, the output unit 16 outputs invalidation credit information in a manner that can be referenced by the user. This information associates credit information that identifies the credit for which invalidation has been requested with power usage identification information corresponding to the charging information in which the amount of charging power has been aggregated as the total amount of charging power.

[0081] According to the certificate issuing device 10 and certificate issuing method of this embodiment described above, charging information relating to charging performed by a user at a predetermined charging facility is acquired, and a unique power usage identification information is issued for each piece of charging information. Then, invalidated credit information is output, which associates the credit information of the credits for which invalidation has been requested according to the total amount of charged power with one or more pieces of power usage identification information, so that one piece of credit information is substantially divided into one or more pieces of charging information and power usage identification information. Therefore, a user corresponding to the charging information can recognize the association between the charging they performed and the credit information, making it possible to provide the user with an incentive related to the environmental added value corresponding to their charging.

[0082] The internal configuration of the certificate issuing device 10 is not limited to the above embodiment and may be designed according to any policy. For example, the main entity (processor) that realizes each of the functional units 11 to 16 is not limited to the example of this disclosure and may differ for each functional unit.

[0083] The processing steps of the method executed by the processor are not limited to the examples in the above embodiment. For example, some of the steps (processes) described above may be omitted, or each step may be executed in a different order. Also, any two or more of the steps described above may be combined, or some of the steps may be modified or deleted. Alternatively, other steps may be executed in addition to each of the above steps. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 10...Certificate issuing device, 11...Credit information acquisition unit, 12...Charging information acquisition unit, 13...Issuance unit, 14...Aggregation unit, 15...Invalidation processing unit, 16...Output unit, 20...Charging information storage unit, CA...Credit operating entity, CG...Credit creator, N...Communication network, P1...Certificate issuing program, PS...Charger, T...User terminal

Claims

1. A credit information acquisition unit that acquires credit information that identifies credits related to environmental value derived from renewable energy generation issued by a designated institution, A charging information acquisition unit that acquires charging information indicating that power related to the credit has been charged to a power-using device, in association with identification information, wherein the charging information includes information on which the amount of power to be charged can be acquired and a user ID that can identify the user of the power-using device, A invalidation processing unit transmits invalidation request information for requesting the invalidation of a credit corresponding to the amount of electricity obtained by aggregating the amount of electricity charged in one or more of the charging information from among the issued credits, An output unit outputs invalidation credit information which is information that associates the credit information that identifies the credit for which an invalidation request has been submitted with the identification information corresponding to the charging information in which the amount of charging power has been aggregated. A certificate issuing device equipped with [a specific feature].

2. The aforementioned credit information identifies credits issued in accordance with the amount of electricity generated by predetermined means that do not involve greenhouse gas emissions. The certificate issuing device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned credits are issued in response to a specified value creation activity, The charging information acquisition unit acquires the charging information and associates it with the identification information when the power-using device is charged at a predetermined charging facility. A certificate issuing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned power-consuming device is an electric vehicle. A certificate issuing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The invalidation processing unit applies to invalidate the credits corresponding to the total amount of electricity obtained by aggregating the charging amounts, for each given amount of charging power, for each given number of charging events, or for each given period. A certificate issuing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The output unit outputs the invalidation credit information without presenting the user ID corresponding to the identification information corresponding to the charging information. A certificate issuing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The invalidation processing unit transmits the invalidation application information to the computer of the designated institution that issued the credit, or to the computer of the applicant's agent who is acting on behalf of the designated institution in applying for the invalidation of the credit. A certificate issuing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A device comprising an issuing unit that transmits identification information corresponding to the charging information to a user terminal of a user indicated by a user ID included in the charging information corresponding to the identification information, or displays it on a website accessible by the user terminal. A certificate issuing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method for issuing a certificate performed by a computer, A credit information acquisition step involves obtaining credit information that identifies credits related to environmental value derived from renewable energy generation issued by a designated institution, and A charging information acquisition step that acquires charging information indicating that power related to the credit has been charged to a power-using device, in association with identification information, wherein the charging information includes information on which the amount of power to be charged can be obtained and a user ID that can identify the user of the power-using device. A invalidation processing step that transmits invalidation request information for requesting the invalidation of a credit corresponding to the amount of electricity obtained by aggregating the amount of electricity charged in one or more of the charging information from the issued credits, An output step that outputs invalidation credit information which is information that associates the credit information that identifies the credit for which an invalidation request has been submitted with the identification information corresponding to the charging information for which the amount of charging power has been aggregated, A method for issuing certificates that possess the necessary characteristics.

10. A program for causing a computer to perform the steps of acquiring credit information, acquiring charging information, invalidation processing, and outputting, in the certificate issuance method described in Claim 9.

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